In Time She Will Be Happy Too
by Lorelai Kline
Summary: Hinata finds strength from a downpour to finally let go of the secret she's clung to so long, even if it is too late. However, though she may be sad now, someone unexpected may be able to make her happy again. SasuHina REVIEW PLEASE!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Wow... it's so good to FINALLY be back. I REALLY missed being online. Just a few of the things that happened to me while I was unplugged for such a long amount of time are enough to offer a simple explination and excuse for my absence. I met someone very special to me and decided to move in with him. Let me tell you... I must REALLY love this guy to move in with him when he has no cable, no internet, and sleeps on an AIR MATTRESS!!!! Luckily, none of those lasted too long once I was in the picture, but it took me long enough that I have death threats from my rabid readers that are begging me to get my butt back in gear. So I shall. I only had Star Ocean stories starring Albel and Nel, but I've decided to broaden my horizons and bring some of my other favored couples to light. If you check out my profile you'll see that my couples least got tweaked, but it's all good. I have several story ideas for SasuHina, but I wanted to start out slow before I began any of them. I also must inform my fans that there is still no update in sight for "Blind to Heaven" because the script and notes I have for it and other ideas is at my mom's house on my old pc, and I have nothing available at the moment to use to transport the files. This may be a blessing in disguise, however, simply because now I am inspired to work outside the AlNel box. Okay, you're probably sick of my rambling or you've skipped this note entirely, so I'll cut this short. I'm so sorry I was away for so long, but only good can come of it!!! Once again I owe Myst a big 'ol heapin helpin o' thank you's!!!! I love you Myst!!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!!!!! And now... on with the story... After the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters in it. It's sort of a good thing I don't, though, or the show would be called "Hinata" and it would turn into a shojo anime about her and all the boys in Konoha fighting over her with Sasuke coming out the winner. Hmmm... Although... I kinda like that idea and if I got enough supporters we could overthrow the creators and make a spin-off that dwells entirely on my ideas!!!! Ahem. Yeah, don't own Naruto.

In Time She'll be Happy Too

Lorelai Kline

Hinata looked at him with a sad smile and choked out a humorless laugh as tears leaked from her eyes and mixed with the rain that was washing down on them. She looked torn between joy and sorrow, and the sight of her in this state was bittersweet in itself.

"You never knew, did you, Naruto? You never noticed... Never even gave it a thought." She whispered without a hint of a stutter, just the sound of her voice and the shattering of her dreams.

Naruto looked at her with genuine guilt and sympathy. He could only begin to imagine just how much he had crushed the woman in front of him. He unknowingly brought his hand up and scratched the back of his head in an effort to relieve the bullets of tension that were pelting him even harder than the rain. She just watched him silently with a sad and inquiring expression while she waited patiently for him to respond.

"I-I'm so sorry... Hinata... I... I j-just figured... well... I dunno..." Naruto fished for words and some kind of acceptable apology as he suddenly became the stuttering emotional blunderer.

Hinata's smile became broken and bemused as she held up a hand to silence him.

"Don't give it any more thought. I should've known as much and let it register long ago... I just wanted to be able to finally tell you, to finally get it out there, and not have to let it eat me away anymore. I'm sorry I had such strange timing, and I don't expect you to reciprocate my feelings in the slightest. I guess I just needed to be selfish and put myself first for once. I needed closure." She said as she looked at him apologetically.

Naruto didn't think. He just reached out and captured the trembling woman in a crushing embrace. She tensed at first, but slowly allowed herself to accept the gesture for what it was; A heart-felt apology that came from the very core. Soon she was gently pushing him away and looking into his eyes with a glimmer of her old happiness.

"Thank you, Naruto. You will probably never fully know just all of what I am thanking you for, and I'll probably never be able to fully tell you, but I mean it all the same. Please be happy and know that I'll be happy for you too." She said as she stepped back and began to turn away.

"What about you?!" Naruto nearly shouted. He may not have loved her, but he did care about Hinata.

She turned back and gave him a true smile that made his heart skip a beat. "I'll be happy too... It'll just take some time before I am."

Naruto smiled back at her and gave her a cheesy thumbs-up and a wink. She returned the goofy pose and said "Believe it!" before turning around and walking off toward her apartment, not once looking back and not once planning to.

Naruto watched her go and knew deep in his heart that she would indeed be just fine with time. He bowed to her back in a rare display of respect and manners, before jogging back to the home he and his bride-to-be shared. He would one day wonder about what could have been with the shy yet brave Hyuuga, but would quickly dismiss the pondering when his thoughts turned to Sakura, the love of his life.

When Hinata knew that Naruto could no longer see her and that he wasn't following her, she stopped and leaned her back against a nearby building as she was overcome with heaving sobs. She let the rain pour over her and soak her to the bone as it washed away the tears from her eyes and the pain in her heart. She let it clean her and heal her in the way only rain could. Eventually her sobs died down and her tears stopped falling and she took a deep breath.

Footsteps approached her and stopped nearby. Hinata could feel eyes watching her and had been aware all along that she was being observed. She didn't care anymore, though. She wasn't going to stop herself from letting go just because she was self-conscious. She needed the release too much to let her character flaws get in the way.

She wiped her eyes free of both raindrops and old tears and looked up at the person who had been watching her cry. A man her age with dark clothes, pale skin, unruly hair, and deep black eyes looked back at her from beneath the shelter of a large blue umbrella. He nodded at her in acknowledgement and waited until she nodded back before approaching her and shielding her from the rain with his umbrella. They just stared at each other and absorbed the connection that silently budded between them.

"Sasuke..." Hinata whispered and let silence trail behind his name. It took him a while, but he finally spoke.

"What you did... It made you stronger. You knew it would hurt and you were afraid, but you did it anyway." He said evenly.

Hinata looked away from his eyes and smirked. "Stronger, but not strong enough" she whispered.

Sasuke frowned and grunted in disapproval. "Others may think that you are not strong enough, some will even think that you will never be strong enough, but..."

He paused as he watched her flinch from the brutal honesty of his statement and emotional pain flash through her features.

"But there are different kinds of strength, Hinata."

She looked back up at him with surprise and confusion. The Uchiha tried not to show any of the emotion that he was feeling inside as he continued to speak, but his voice came out with an echo of warmth and sincerity that betrayed his outer impassiveness.

"You may not be a strong fighter, but what you lack in combat skills you compensate for with intense emotional strength. Your capacity to care and empathize with anyone about anything, your ability to forgive, your courage and compassion... Those are true strengths. No amount of ninjustu can mend a broken heart or stop tears from falling."

Sasuke stared past her with a far-away look in his eyes. "You are strong. Stronger than most people will ever know or give you credit for." He stated calmly.

Hinata felt something inside of her die slowly only to be reborn again, like a phoenix rising from its own ashes. Finally, someone said the words that she had longed to hear for so long and understood and appreciated her in a way she thought she never would be. She looked at Sasuke and their eyes locked once more and she smiled at him as both of their faces became slightly pink.

"Thank you..." She whispered breathily as she wiped at the corners of her eyes with the heel of her palm, her smile never faltering.

Sasuke simply nodded and waited for her to move away from the wall she was leaning against. He walked her home in comfortable silence and when she began to walk up the steps to her apartment and away from him he whispered "You're welcome".

As he walked away Hinata watched him and before he was out of hearing range she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted "What you did... It made you stronger!!!" before running back into her home as she laughed softly and blushed madly.

Sasuke stopped as soon as he heard her words and smiled knowingly to himself. He would have to do many more things to get stronger... and to get to Hinata's heart, but he had a good start.

It seemed that Hinata would be happy again in less time than expected.

A/N: THANK YOU FOR READING!!!!!! I know it's short and kinda weird, but I luffs it!!! I want to write more SasuHina... and all I need to fuel my inspirational fire is lovely reviews!!! PLEASE!!!!!

Just hit the button, tell me what you thought, resist the urge to flame and criticize instead if you dislike, and submit. It's not hard, PLEASE DO IT!!! FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN, REVIEW!!!!!!


	2. Chapter 2

In Time She Will Be Happy Too

(Chapter 2)

Lorelai Kline

A/N: I must warn you. This chapter is sort of graphic... and really angsty. I'm not too thrilled with it, but it had to be done to set this story in motion. I know it's boring and I know there's a severe lack of fluff, but I WILL make it up to you. This chapter basically explains stuff... Consider this fic an AU since it only bears some resemblance to the actual storyline. Just have faith in me and at least try to enjoy this chapter. I know it isn't fun, but things will improve! BELIEVE IT!!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I wish I did. I also wish I owned trillions of dollars. I'm thinking both may be a little beyond Santa's reach.

Hinata wasn't surprised that she hadn't seen Sasuke since that stormy night when he had been the one to say the words she had longed to hear all her life. It was a bit of a shock to her system to say the least, and she was grateful for the time to re-collect herself and attempt to organize her jumbled thoughts. So much had changed around and inside of her since the battle for Konoha and she never realized just how long it had been since she had simply taken the time to stop and think.

In that horrible time of bloodshed she had gone against everything she was being molded into. Instead of joining her fellow ninja in the violent battle, she had taken it upon herself to heal those who had fallen. There was a desparate need for skilled healers at the time and without medical support the warriors of Konoha would've been overwhelmed. Hinata remembered the disgust and hatred turned upon her by members of her clan when they saw that she was not fighting. The Hyuuga philosophy was that of survival of the fittest, a philosophy that Hinata disagreed with.

But it wasn't just the fact that she had been healing instead of hurting in the battle that had changed the way people looked at her so drastically. It wasn't just the warriors on her side that she had aided. When Hinata saw that Sakura and Tsunade were getting things under control with the Konoha troops, she ventured into enemy lines and began to assist those whose injuries were potentially fatal. Her actions were an open betrayal of Konoha, but at the time she hadn't cared. What mattered was that people were dying that didn't need to be.

As she healed the enemy she paid no heed to the men that stopped to watch her. She didn't hear them debate on whether or not they should kill her when she was saving one of their own. She was too busy saving a life. It wasn't her concern that this was the life of an enemy; A life was a life, and to her all life was precious. She hated this meaningless conflict in the name of power, she loathed the fact that this fight was causing so much pain, and she was disgusted by the fact that she was intended to be a part of the suffering.

In that time, as she worked to halt the gushing of blood from a deep wound surrounded by the sounds of war and sorrow, she had an earth-shattering epiphany. She wasn't meant to be an heiress, a ninja, or even a Hyuuga. She willed back the tears that stung her eyes and licked off the blood from her lip that she had been biting. She forced herself to wait until the fighting stopped or she was killed before she would let herself dwell on the matter any longer. Now was not the best time to have a revelation.

As she wrapped the wound that she had successfully mended a hand fisted itself in her hair and dragged her up from her knees. She stared into the eyes of a desparate and angry man who shook her a few times before half spitting and half screaming in her face.

"You will help him!!!" The man shouted. It was not a request, but it didn't need to be. Hinata bit her lip and nodded firmly, even though it meant that her hair was pulled painfully in the man's fist.

The stranger let go of her hair and roughly grabbed her by her upper arm, bruising the skin and smearing her sleeve with the blood that was caked on his hands. Hinata stumbled along, mentally trying to prepare herself to fix whatever damage that had caused this man to turn to an enemy for assistance. In her heart she knew it would be gruesome, but when she was shoved to the ground next to a spasming body she had to bite back a scream. It wasn't so much the body, which was covered in deep wounds that were oozing blood while it convulsed in unfathomable agony, as it was what was fisted in the body's hand.

Orochimaru's head, blinking up at her and mouthing silent curses, completely detatched from its body.

Hinata shivered and choked back rising bile as she forced herself to focus on the man in need of her help. She was able to transfer some of her own chakra into the seizing form, replenishing enough to stop the seizures. She quickly set to work on the deepest wound, a ragged gash on the right side of the neck that had nearly severed the jugular vein. As she wove tissue back together she realized that the wound was self-inflicted, and it was made by the victim clawing at his neck with ferocity. As she mended the final layer of skin back together and stitched it in place she saw an unusual scar that looked almost like tribal markings where the assault on their personal being had been most frenzied.

Hinata mentally shook herself and shoved the curiosity to the back of her mind as she raced against time to save the stranger before her. She sliced open the front of the bloodstained shirt the person was wearing and took note that her patient was a male around her age of considerable physical prowess. This comforted her in that it would mean healing would be easier than in other cases. Another brutal gash dominated the man's stomach, looking as though it was meant to pierce through the body. Hinata shuddered as she lost more chakra while healing such intense injuries. Soon enough Hinata had mended the most dangerous wounds to the best of her ability. However, she was suffering from expending so much chakra at once and she was feeling lightheaded and nausiated.

She looked at the head still firmly grasped in the man's bloody hands and swallowed more bile. In a bold guesture, she began to remove the head in hopes of burning it. In an instant all she could see were two swirling red eyes glaring at her. It happened so fast that fear came as an afterthought. Hinata coughed and let out a hoarse shriek as her wrist was grasped so tightly in the man's hand that she could feel the bones fracturing.

"NO." The man stated in a rhaspy but firm tone. A tone that Hinata instantly recognized with mounting dread. Apparently the man recognized her as well as his eyes widened a tiny fraction before narrowing again.

"Hyuuga..." He stated.

Hinata was hypervhentilating and her head was pounding, but she managed to cough out the name of the man she had saved.

"Uchiha... Uchiha S-Sasuke...".

Sasuke appraised her and hid the shock he was feeling from showing in his expression. "What are you doing? Have you betrayed everyone too?!" He barked.

Hinata was afraid, but she was also concerned, and her concern gave her the strength she needed to speak. "I... I was healing you... A-And trying to g-get rid of that," she pointed to Orochimaru's head," And I'm no traitor. I simply did what I f-felt was h-honorable".

This seemed an acceptable answer to Sasuke and he nodded grimly. " I'm afraid I need this", he held up Orochimaru's head for better viewing, making Hinata cringe and look away, " So that I may redeem myself" he whispered.

Hinata somehow was able to smile regardless of the storm of emotions she was feeling. "I-I never knew y-you would seek re-redemption for d-doing what you felt was right..." She said softly.

Sasuke took another good look at Hinata, as if he were trying to see into her soul, but was surprised to find her looking right back at him. This was not the same girl he knew so long ago and he wondered if everyone else had changed as much as the brave young woman who stared back at him. With that thought his eyes rolled back into his head and he slipped into unconciousness.

Hinata watched Sasuke a few moments longer before letting herself breathe again. She was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. She would have so much to answer for, and just as much to question. She too felt herself slipping away, and she welcomed the blissful darkness; Knowing that when she awoke from it things would never be the same again.

Hinata sighed as she let the memory slip away. Her heart ached and she wept softly. Things had changed, and she felt herself being ripped apart as she wondered how life would have been if she had just done what everyone else expected her too. Her sobs got stronger as she remembered everything that had happened after she had awoken in the hospital to the furious expression of her father, the scandalized look on her cousin Neji's face, and her sensei, Kurenai's, look of dissappointment and hurt.

Her clan had excommunicated her and had beseeched the Hokage to banish her. She had been aprehended and imprisoned by ANBU for treason and insuboordination. She had been interrogated by Tsunade herself and although her crimes were forgiven Tsunade had told her "You have dissappointed not just myself, your family, and all of Konoha... You have also grown, Hinata. Now all that is left is for you to learn what you are growing toward". She had cried, screamed, and made herself sick countless nights as she questioned her exhistance. She had thought of ending everything and giving up. Her friends had distanced themselves to let her work things out, stopping by rarely to check on her and offer small bits of encouragement and support. She had let Naruto get away...

Hinata ran to the sink and emptied her stomach before cleaning herself up and trying to stop crying. The pain was unbearable. It just seemed like too much to take on by herself, but she wasn't one to burden others with her woes. Feeling her tears begin to slow and her breathing coming in painful hiccups, she walked to her bed and lay down to stare at the ceiling and attempt to calm down.

She was fortunate that Tsunade had decided to house her so that she could be watched for any signs of disloyalty, otherwise she would have been homeless and broke. Tsunade and Kurenai had taken pity on Hinata and offered her a small salary for teaching medical jutsu to academy students. The war had made it clear that healing was just as integral as force. All in all things could have been much worse, but Hinata had yet to fully pull through her depression.

It would take time for her to be happy, but there was hope and there was someone out there who wanted to bring it to her.

A/N: AND IT'S OVER!!!! There... hopefully that wasn't too bad. Again, I'm sorry you had to suffer through that. Don't give up on me, folks!!! Happy Holidays, hope you get what you want. AND DON'T GET SLOSHED ON NEW YEAR'S!!!! December is Drunk and Drugged Driving Month. If you can't say it, DON'T DO IT!!!! Stay safe, people.

Oh... and you know what would make a great gift? A review!!! So... Santa, baby... won't you please grant my Christmas wish? REVIEW!!! FOR COOKIES AND MILK!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

In Time She Will Be Happy Too: Chapter 3

Lorelai Kline

A/N: OMG!!! This is the farthest I've gotten on any fic I've posted! I'm so proud of myself! I was really surprised by how many of you enjoyed the last chapter: It was a relief to say the least. I was so worried it would come out boring and confusing, but I suppose after obsessive compulsive tweaking and re-tweaking things turned out just fine. Originally this story was meant to be a one-shot, but so many people wanted to see more that I just couldn't resist. After I had posted the first chapter ideas kept coming to me and I had to race to keep up. Luckily, these ideas flow together and we are looking at a pretty in-depth and entertaining tale... hopefully.

I want to explain the structure that I'm running with in case anyone is confused. The first chapter takes place in the "present" time of the story. Okay, easy enough... however, things get tricky in chapter two. It starts out in the "present" again, then Hinata remembers events that lead up to the "present". After she has her flashback everything returns to the "present" time once more. This is somewhat the structure I will be using for a bit, (Present/ Flashback/ Present). Hopefully it won't be too confusing, but let me know if it is.

I am really enjoying myself with this fic. I am proud of the ways Hinata and Sasuke are developing, though we haven't seen much of Sasuke yet. Fear not, though! Pretty Bishie Boy Dude will show up as well as the ever-important element of fluff! Please keep up with the reviews, they really inspire me and get me working on chapters faster. Happy Holidays!!!

Lor .

Sasuke stood on the corner accross from Hinata's apartment building with his hands shoved in his pockets and a scowl on his face. His eyes never left her bedroom window unless it was absolutely necessary. It was slightly risky to be out in the open where there were still single fangirls sniffing about, but he had sent out clones to throw them off his trail. He sighed and ran a fist through his hair before returning it back to his pocket. This was getting annoying. He was actually worried about someone other than himself and his brother, and what's more: He just sighed! Sasuke's scowl deepened and he let out a grunt of displeasure.

This behavior was new to him, as were the feelings he was working so hard to repress. Before he came back things were simple. He was focused, powerful, free... But since his return everything had changed. He knew things had changed the moment he had looked up through half-dead eyes at a woman working diligently to save him and realized who she was.

Her milky white eyes tinted with lavender were narrowed in concentration while the veins around her eyes were raised slightly as she used her clan technique. Sweat dripped down from her forehead and she would have to wipe it away as well as bangs that fell into her line of vision. Her hair spilled down over her shoulders and her long bangs were haphazardly tucked behind her ears, coming loose and dancing around her cheeks before she brushed them away. She was still very pale, he noticed, and her aura still radiated warmth and compassion, but this was not the same person from years ago. She was a woman now, gently curved in all the right places. Thin, lithe, and graceful; She had lost most of her awkwardness in favor of maturing.

Sasuke watched her as she worked, his vision occaisionally blurring, and found himself curious and fascinated. She was clothed modestly, but her outfit had changed. She had shed her coat and replaced it with a hooded vest that had her family crest on the back. Underneath she wore a black tank top that fishnet sleeves that tucked over her fingers. She also wore a short skirt that matched the beige color of her vest over a pair of black capris. Around her waist was a utility belt, of sorts, with several compartments filled with medical supplies. She still wrapped one leg with cloth and bound her kunai pouch to it and her blue sandals were the same, as well as the way she still wore her leaf headband around her neck. On her wrists were blue gloves that matched her sandals that were stained by his blood. The outfit suited her, but he was surprised to see a daring V-neck on the tank top when she turned toward his head. It wasn't so drastic that it went down to her navel, it simply stopped at the start of her clevage. Overall she was stunning, he mused.

Normally a woman's clothing wouldn't matter to Sasuke at all, but after losing so much blood and chakra, he found himself noticing odd things in his dream-like state. He soon found himself thinking clearly, however, when she tried to take his meal ticket away. On impulse he shot up and snatched the hand that was reaching for Orochimaru's head. He could tell she was shocked and scared, but she didn't faint or blush like she did back in the academy. He hadn't realized he'd said anything, but apparently something had come from his lips.

He watched as her eyes widened with terror and recognition. So she remebered him too? The thought filled him with a tiny pang of pride. He wanted to show her he knew who she was. He knew her clan name, but what was her name? Haruko? Hachi? His mind drew a blank so he simply stated her clan name.

"Hyuuga" he said.

The girl shivered and he breathing became labored but she managed to choke out his name.

"Uchiha... Uchiha S-Sasuke" she wheezed.

He was again rewarded with a swell of pride that she knew his name still. Suddenly his thoughts became a little clearer and he realized the situation they were in with painful clarity. She was aiding an enemy! This was a serious act of treason against Konoha. Did she know what she was doing? He had to find out.

"What are you doing? Have you betrayed everyone too?!" He said. It wasn't so much that he were asking questions, more like demanding answers.

"I... I was healing you... A-And trying to g-get rid of that," she pointed to the head," And I'm no traitor. I simply did what I f-felt was h-honorable", she stuttered. Even though she was afraid she was able to speak with only a hint of her childish stutter. He wondered if she spoke without it when she wasn't frightened.

" I'm afraid I need this", he held up Orochimaru's head for better viewing, smiling grimly when she flinched and refused to look at it, " So that I may redeem myself" he whispered.

"I-I never knew y-you would seek re-redemption for d-doing what you felt was right..." She said softly, this time she was the one smiling sadly.

Her words cut him like a knife. Suddenly he needed to know her name and everything about his mysterious savior. She had done the impossible in the span of about twenty minutes; She had reached him. She had crumbled all his well constructed defenses and seen right through him. He stared into her eyes, wanting to see all her secrets reflected back at him, too. However, all he saw were pale lavender eyes mixed with fear and concern. She cared? He had betrayed all of Konoha, he had injured her friends, and he was scaring her; And yet she still felt worry for him? It was too much. He was spent completely and he felt darkness clouding over his being. As he succumbed to unconciousness he idly wondered if everything and everyone had changed even half as much as the woman before him... And deep in his heart, he doubted it.

Sasuke's reverie was interrupted when he sensed someone approaching. He wasn't too concerned, as the person that neared him was none other than Naruto. Sasuke didn't look at his old friend, he just kept watching Hinata's window as the blonde approached and stood next to him.

"I really messed up..." Naruto mused as he too stared at the window. Sasuke didn't make any effort to respond, Naruto knew he was listening. "I honestly had no idea that she felt that way about me... I just made it all worse for her, didn't I?"

Sasuke spoke, but his gaze never strayed from the window. "She knew what to expect, she was ready for the pain... All of the pain. She made a concious decision to do everything that she has, and I don't think she'd change any of her actions if she had the chance".

Naruto smiled humorlessly. "Ya gotta admire that, huh? I mean I know several people who would regret taking care of a grumpy patient like you, but she didn't complain once".

Sasuke simply nodded.

"So... When are you going to admit that there's something going on between you?" Naruto asked, this time with a guenuine grin.

Sasuke looked at him, momentarily caught off-guard. He recollected himself quickly, though.

"Dobe" he growled.

"Aw c'mon Sasuke, it's obvious you like her! You've been standing outside her apartment every day since you were released from the hospital. She's gotten to you" Naruto beamed with confidence.

"Don't be so naiive" Sasuke muttered, conciously avoiding looking back at the apartment, even though he sensed movement inside.

"Just don't... Don't let her stay cooped up in there too much longer. Hinata's hurting pretty bad, but she's not the kind of person to burden others with her sorrows." Naruto said before walking off after giving Hinata's apartment one final glance.

When Sasuke was sure that the kyuubi vessel was out of hearing range he looked up at the window and allowed himself a rare smile. "I won't" he whispered, then frowned and added in the obligatory "Dobe" just in case.

A/N: Whew! Sorry that took so long to update. I've been working on a ton of other projects too. This story and "Happily Wedded Bliss", (My Avatar: The Last Airbender fic starring Zuko and Toph), are my main concerns, but I've been doing oneshots here and there too. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!!! The more reviews the faster I update since they inspire me. So just take a few seconds to tell me what you think and make my day, m'kay?

Lor

P.S.

REVIEW!!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

In Time She Will Be Happy Too

Lorelai Kline

A/N: So... Imagine my surprise when some of my favorite SasuHina writers reviewed my humble story. It was a shock to say the least, but also a highly pleasant surprise. I'm begining to wish I was more like Hinata. I just put in my two weeks at work because I'm sick of all the crap, but I'm still not able to be proud that I'm getting out. I'm not a quitter, but it was my only way out other than being fired. Ugh... It still hurts! Stupid evil bitchy bosses!!! Pulls out voodoo dolls and lets the therapy begin

IMPORTANT NOTE: I forgot to mention how old everyone is, so let me get that out of the way. Just about everyone is 21 except for the teachers and Neji's team. Neji, Tenten and Lee are all 22. As for the teachers and all the other "adults", well, I hate to say this, but it really doesn't matter. But that doesn't mean I don't love them!!!

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never will. Wish I could. Dammit.

Hinata woke up feeling bad, as usual, but this was a new level of bad. This was awful. She'd had dreams and nightmares all night long and had woke up crying on at least 3 occaisions. Dragging herself out of bed, she lugged herself toward the shower only to be distracted by a knock on her door. Normally Hinata would have the mind enough, (As well as the modesty!), to realize she was about to answer the door in nothing but an oversized t-shirt and no proper grooming. Normally Hinata would've had her morning tea and shower by now too, but Hinata had been having an "off-day" for about two weeks now. She pulled the door open while rubbing at her sore eyes and stifling a yawn.

"H-Hello..." She muttered lazily, not even caring to look at her visitor.

"You look like crap..." Came a deep voice, followed by a low chuckle.

Hinata was suddenly wide awake. She wanted to slam the door shut and go hide under her futon, but she was too paralyzed by mortification. There stood Sasuke Uchiha, trying to quiet his chuckles with his fist as he looked her up and down. He was finally able to stop laughing, (and admiring the view), and he cleared his throat.

"Um... Get dressed and come with me" he said.

"Ok-ay" came Hinata's automatic response as she robotically closed the door and walked to her bathroom in a total daze. _What the hell just happened here? _she wondered. She was still wondering as she scrubbed herself clean, brushed her hair up into a bun that was already falling down, got dressed in her usual uniform, and headed back for the door. She wasn't sure if she even blinked or turned her head in the process.

As Sasuke nodded at her she inwardly groaned as she realized she still hadn't had her morning tea.

Hinata obediently followed Sasuke without speaking. She was still too tired to think of anything except mourning her lack of morning tea. She was unable to function properly without it. Not paying attention, she walked right into her companion's back and fell backwards onto her rear. Luckily, the lack of tea meant she wasn't awake enough to register the bruise she'd probably have on her bum as well as her self-esteem. She looked up at the smirking ninja and resisted the urge to pout.

"Walk much?" He asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

Hinata blushed and got back up on her feet, waiting until he started walking inside of a building before brushing off her behind and following. To Hinata's secret delight, she'd been lead into a small shop that smelled of fresh brewed tea. The store was filled with herbs and she was a little surprised that she hadn't known about this store beforehand. After all, she was using herbs all the time for her salves and remedies. As her eyes scanned the shelves she was thrilled to see rare herbs and spices at resonable prices. This little gem of a location would come in handy, since before this amazing find she had only been able to use herbs growing in and around Konoha. She let out a silent cheer when she walked past shelves filled with medical scrolls to study and learn, as well as the more expensive, but equally useful, display shelves stocked with the rarest of medical tools, herbs, and scrolls. A wrinkled old couple came out from a curtain in the back of the crowded shop and both began to greet and fawn over Sasuke.

"Oh, I knew you couldn't go for long without visiting for tea, Sasuke", said the old woman as she beamed up at the young warrior, "I was surprised you didn't come by for your birthday, but I heard you had a mission. I'm just glad you're back".

"Ikuko, give the boy some breathing room!", laughed the elderly gentleman before he leaned toward Sasuke and attempted to whisper conspiratorily, "Do you have a need for more bandage rolls? I'll give them to you cheap if you arm-wrestle me again. Last time I was distracted".

"You're always distracted, you old coot!" mocked his wife before she went back behind the curtain to get the tea that was giving off the aroma that filled the room. Hinata watched the scene from the corner of her eye, trying to blend into the background as much as possible. It was nice to see Sasuke being treated like a human being for once. In the hospital he was "just another patient" and got no special treatment, same as everyone else. She remembered back in school he was either seen as a rival or a god, never just a person. But this... It was almost like watching grandparents fawning over their grandson. It was sweet, and a small smile came to Hinata's lips. The old man spotted Hinata when he saw Sasuke look over his shoulder to see if she was still there. At first the elderly fellow just stared. He then looked at Sasuke and a wide grin crossed his face.

"Well done, m'boy!!!" He remarked before walking over to speak with Hinata. He stood before her and looked at her before walking back over and whumping Sasuke on the back. "I can tell she's quite a catch".

Hinata's face seemed to catch fire as she figured out just what had been assumed. She began to wave her hands and stutter as she tried to explain that she was only accompanying Sasuke because... Wait, why was she following him? Oh yeah, he told her too. Sasuke rolled his eyes and gently bonked the old man on the head.

"Don't go senile on me, she's just an... aquaintance" he said, pausing before stating just what she was to him. The old man pouted, but then perked up as his wife came back in with the tray of tea. "Ikuko, Sasuke brought an aquaintance with him!" the man sang.

His wife simply looked over at Hinata and smiled softly as she set the tray down. "Forgive my husband, but he gossips like a schoolgirl" she said before shooting a glare at the old man.

"O-oh!!! It's no trouble!!!" Hinata squeaked as she bowed respectfully. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga. It is an honor to meet you" she said politely. The couple seemed impressed, but Sasuke just poured himself some tea.

"Well, aren't you a dear. My name is Ikuko and this is my dimwit husband, Hiro Miyazaki." Her husband shot a glare back at her. "Sasuke's never brought a friend here before!" she said with a gleam in her eye.

Sasuke was quick to put in his say. "Don't look into it any further. I need my morning tea and I just happened to be blackmailed into taking her to see Tsunade before I had it" he said. Something told Hinata that whatever Kakashi was holding over Sasuke's head was going to be his own undoing.

"Would you like some tea, young lady?" asked Hiro. For a moment Hinata swore she heard angels singing in the background. She officially adored the Miyazakis now.

"Oh, yes please! I can't function without tea in the morning and I accidentally skipped mine too" she blushed.

Ikuko handed her a cup of tea and Hinata closed her eyes as she drank it down. It was the best tea she'd ever tasted. It was sweet and warm and just... Perfection. In fact it was so good that she let out an appreciative little mewl of pleasure, then blushed when she realized she'd done it aloud. Sasuke seemed to be the only one who noticed, however, since the Miyazakis were now bickering. He smirked at her and she resisted the urge to crawl into a dark hole.

"This tea is wonderful... thank you so much!" Hinata finally spoke when Sasuke stopped looking at her. She seemed to distract the old couple from their fight and Ikuko blushed as she thanked Hinata for her compliment.

"I'm actually really happy Sasuke brought me here. I'm a medic nin and I really wish I'd known of this place sooner..." she smiled.

"Oh, we don't advertize much. We usually just rely on word of mouth... Maybe you could mention this place to a few of your co-workers?" Asked Hiro, hopefully.

"Of course! It'd be wrong of me if I didn't..." Before Hinata could really start a good conversation, Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Yeah, it's nice that you made new friends and all but we gotta go..." He said, leading her to the exit by the arm.

"Oh... I understand" Hinata said with a sad smile. She pulled her arm from his grasp and turned to face the shop owners one last time. As she bowed she spoke. "Thank you again. I'll be sure to tell everyone about this place!!! Oh, and I'll come back to shop too. Thank you!!".

Sasuke gave his own patented goodbye to the couple as he looked back at them over his shoulder and waved an arm up over his head to give a half-hearted wave. After they were gone Ikuko looked to her husband and bounced on her feet. "Oh she's such a sweet girl, I'm so happy!" she chimed.

Hiro looked smug as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Yep, not only does he come to visit, keep his promise to bring more business, and wimp away from another arm-wrestle... He's found himself a fine young lady to cozy up to!".

They laughed and hugged like parents who watched their son take his first steps, and in a way, Sasuke had.

Hinata couldn't help but keep shooting glances at Sasuke. Who was this guy and what had he done with the REAL Sasuke Uchiha? Since when was Sasuke... approachable? Nice? Somewhat humorous? Something was wrong here. Maybe all that time in the hospital having HER chakra flow through him had corrupted his dark persona. She shuddered as she looked up at him again, half expecting to see white eyes instead of black.

"What?!" The Uchiha shouted as he finally had enough of Hinata's staring.

"Umm..." Hinata searched for something to say. She was never really good at being put on the spot. "Uhhh...".

"Spit it out already!!!" Ahhh, yes. There was the dear Sasuke everyone knows and loves. If anything he was compensating for lost time.

"Umm... Are... uh... umm... d-do you... well..." Hinata was still fishing for words.

"Oh, for the love of- JUST SAY IT!!!" Sasuke lost his temper and spurred Hinata to blurt out her thoughts due to fear.

"Areyoubipolar!?" She squeaked, while blushing profuseley.

"Am I what?" He asked, not catching just what she'd asked since it all came out in one breath.

"Do you have... um... bipolar? You know... umm..." She couldn't look at him.

"No, I do not have bipolar!!! Sometimes you're as dumb as Naruto!" That put Hinata on the defensive.

"Well, I'm sorry I was wrong, but you are being strange! I mean if I were to suddenly start glaring at everyone what would you think?!"

"That you were PMSing" He said with a straight face.

Hinata blushed harder and looked away from him to try and mask her embarassment. Sasuke looked to the sky and sighed with exhasperation.

"...Human..." He muttered.

"Huh?" Hinata asked.

"I'm trying... I'm trying to be human. I've got a long way to go, I know..." He spoke quietly and refused to look her in the eye.

"Why the change of heart?" Hinata asked, sincerely curious.

"I thought I was going to die without having accomplished anything for a long time..." Sasuke said. His eyes suddenly widened, as if he only just realized he had been speaking, then narrowed and he turned his back to her and started walking swiftly toward Tsunade's office.

Hinata stood there, confused, for a few moments before sprinting after him and deciding it would be wise to just leave things as they were. Sasuke wasn't ready to talk about it anymore, and Hinata wasn't sure if she was really ready to listen.

A/N: Whew!!! That took forever! Sorry things have been so late in the making, but I've had to deal with all the crappy DRAMA in my life. Urgh... So, if Sasuke seems out of character, I'm really sorry: But fear not! THINGS WILL BE EXPLAINED!!!! As in I'm going to go back and tell about Sasuke and Itatchi, (Oh boy, a fight scene!!!), just what the hell happened in that hospital, and of course, the progressing relationship between our angsty couple. I hope this chapter made you laugh. There will be comedy sprinkled in with a lot of the drama and romance.

As for anyone with bipolar or any other mental/emotional disorder. I am not poking fun at you or your disorder. I myself have a few. I was merely using it as a way for Hinata to try and pinpoint just WHY Sasuke was being so weird. Seeing as she has medical knowledge I figured that she should know about mental issues too. If I offended anyone I am truly sorry. It was not at all intentional and I hope that if you truly are upset you realize that it was not meant as a slight toward you or anyone with a mental disorder. Let it go and laugh. (hugs)

As for Hinata answering the door in her PJ's... That one came from real life. I hadn't had my morning cappuccino and we had a delivery so I just sort of appeared at the door in nothing but David's favorite shirt. That poor delivery boy. I'm not sure if I scarred him for life or gave him a good show... All I know is that sighning for that package was REALLY awkward.

OH!!!! AND DAVID MIGHT BE PROPOSING!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!! I swear, I've been seeing little signs and I am PSYCHED!!!! Oh God!!! MAYBE HE'LL PROPOSE ON VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! (David is my boyfriend, for those of you scratching your heads. We live together in an apartment with out little zoo).

ANYWAY... Review, Or I might come to your door in nothing but a giant t-shirt and no cappuccino in my system!!! OR WORSE... two words... green spandex. (No offense to Lee or Gai, who make the ensemble quite... err... stylish?) PLEASE!!!!! I don't want a wedgie!!!!


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